Ichigo Kurosaki
Ichigo Kurosaki is a Human who has Shinigami powers, the second Substitute Shinigami after Kūgo Ginjō, and the main protagonist of the Bleach franchise. Ichigo is the son of Isshin and Masaki Kurosaki, and the older brother of Karin and Yuzu. He is also love interest of Rukia Kuchiki, and is currently a well-known hero in Soul Society. He is now one of the four primary protagonists of the crossover series. Background Physical Appearance Ichigo's most distinguishing feature is his spiky orange hair, a trait he has been ridiculed for years on end, particularly when he was younger, and earning him the nickname, "Strawberry". He is a fairly tall, lean-built young man with peach skin and brown eyes, as well as having sideburns across his face. Since becoming a Shinigami, he has become noticeably more muscular, as noted by his sister, Karin. He likes to wear tight clothes and has a tendency to wear shirts patterned with the number 15 because his name is a homonym for the number. In his Shinigami form, Ichigo wears the standard Shinigami attire: a black shihakushō and hakama, a white obi, a pair of white tabi, and a pair of waraji sandals. In addition to this, Ichigo has a thick, red rosary-like strap across his torso and around his back to hold his Zanpakutō sheath. It is shaped like a kite with a flat top and bottom. Ichigo's appearance has caused several people, including Jūshirō Ukitake, to note a similarity to Kaien Shiba, the former lieutenant of the 13th Division. Since his Fullbring fused with his Shinigami powers after regaining them for a second time, he has four black vertical, tattoo lines on each of his forearms, as well as his chest and ankles that are shaped like an "X". In addition to these changes, his Fullbring also caused black bands with white ends on them to appear around his neck like high collars. Following the Lost Agent Arc in the Bleach series, Ichigo now wears a white tattered cloak with dark red markings tied around his waist that goes down to his ankles; this new cloak now goes along with his spiritual attire when using his Shikai, but can disappear with his shihakushō when using his Bankai. Personality When he was younger, Ichigo cared very deeply for his mother, always smiling when he was with her and holding her hand. At a very young age, Ichigo heard his father saying his name means "to protect one thing," which instilled in him a desire to protect his mother. When his sisters were born, he began attending a dojo for the sake of protecting them. Since then, the number of people he wishes to protect has continued to grow by the many he met over these years, causing Ichigo to risk his life to protect both the people close to him and complete strangers, even towards his enemies like Grimmjow and Aizen. As a teenager, Ichigo is stubborn, short-tempered, strong-willed, obstinate, and impulsive. He attempts to maintain a serious, detached and "cool" image, despite claiming not to care about what other people think about him. He generally keeps his face set in a near-permanent scowl, with his eyebrows drawn together. His outspoken, hot-headed demeanor is a trait Ichigo himself has acknowledged, and that if somebody picks a fight with him, he cannot help fighting back, making him particularly violent and aggressive. He coldly refers to his teachers as "instructors". However, Ichigo has shown on multiple occasions to be a genuinely compassionate and empathetic individual towards those around him, showing a great deal of concern and care for those who were even his enemies, as well as giving a Plus flowers and a toy plane, or soothing others when they are upset. Ichigo is a capable student, ranked 23rd in his year at school, who studies regularly and does not neglect his schoolwork. He works as hard as he does to overcome the misconceptions many have about him based on his hair color and fighting. Ichigo likes reading manga, hunting Hollows and doing homework, but hates fortune telling, horoscopes, feng shui, psychics, and anyone whose trade involves taking money from people for things they cannot see. He has difficulty remembering some people's faces and names that he comes across. Perhaps in tandem with him being a teenage boy, Ichigo can become noticeably uncomfortable and embarrassed by nude or promiscuous women, particularly Yoruichi Shihōin, and Rangiku Matsumoto. At the same time, he can, be very rude and disrespectful to those who are his elders and his superiors, such as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto whom he refers to as "gramps", as well as Byakuya Kuchiki, and Tōshirō Hitsugaya, both of whom he refers to on a first name basis, rather than by their title. When it comes to fighting, Ichigo has a strong, yet complex sense of honor; he regularly seeks to exact revenge for the actions of his opponent, such as instilling the fear of being murdered in Shrieker and cutting off the right arm of Yammy Llargo in retaliation for him ripping Yasutora Sado's right arm apart. He often taunts and belittles his opponents when fighting, sometimes even attacking without warning. Ichigo has a strong desire to win his fights in what he views as a legitimate manner. To this end, he has refused the aid of his inner Hollow and wants to fight with his own strength, even when knowing that it would allow him to win. Similarly, after regaining control of his body, he tells Ulquiorra to cut off his limbs so that they may have a fair fight and refuses to kill him when he is dying; saying that it was not the way he wanted to win. He has also been known to seek revenge against those who defeat him in combat, such as he did with Grimmjow. Perhaps the greatest example of Ichigo's vengeance is his grudge with Grand Fisher (the Hollow that killed his mother). Ichigo's vendetta with Grand Fisher lasted for decades, well into the boy's teenage years, before Ichigo finally defeated it and gained revenge for Masaki. Ichigo's resolve also plays a large role in his person during combat. Ichigo has even shown that he despises those who mistreat their allies in any way, even if they are his own enemies and is disgusted when an individual berates his/her own allies, such as when Yammy calls Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Nnoitra Gilga, and even Ulquiorra Cifer "trash". He also expresses anger towards those who go as far as attacking their own allies for their own selfish goals, expressing that he cannot forgive those who murder their own comrades. Ichigo is a person who wants to protect everyone he can, therefore, he is a person who constantly feels the need to be in control. If ever his sense of control over certain situations is disturbed or compromised, Ichigo will fall into the deep pits of despair and a state of depression if he couldn't save someone he loves, or fails in to win a fight. These moments of despair can cause his resolve to waver, causing him to become horribly inefficient when he is in combat, which causes him to lose his composure. However, when he is in a state of feeling in control, his resolve dramatically increases, as he feels he can now protect whoever the object of his affection is, increasing his chances in battle; even when he is shocked from learning about the secrets from his past, and maybe his future, Ichigo is a person who never wavers and continues into choosing the path of protecting those close to him. Synopsis Abilities Master Swordsman Specialist: In terms of fighting style while in his Shinigami form, Ichigo relies mainly on swordplay. Aside from his initial training with Kisuke Urahara, he is essentially on a "learn as you go" training regimen; thusly, his skill has developed by fighting rather than formal instruction, becoming even more capable in every fight he has faced. His overall skill in swordsmanship enabled him to become equals with powerful opponents of his caliber, such as Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki. While usually fighting right-handed, Ichigo appears to be ambidextrous, as he is proficient in wielding Zangetsu with his left hand. Ichigo is later capable of using his Getsuga Tenshō to augment his sword swings in the Shikai form of Zangetsu, allowing him to inflict greater damage to his opponents. *'Concussive Force': A simple swing of his blade can release a tremendous amount of concussive force, something Ichigo refers to as kenatsu (sword pressure), which has enough strength for Ginjō, a former Substitute Shinigami himself, to mistake it for a Getsuga Tenshō. It seemingly does quite a bit of damage to the Fullbringer, despite the fact that it is simply air pressure. Ichigo first demonstrated this during his training with Urahara, using it to show his "will to cut". Despite his powers not being completely developed then, it still had enough power to cancel out Urahara's own kenatsu during their training. Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Physically, Ichigo's Human/Shinigami body is in top form. Ichigo has been trained in martial arts since he was a small child, both professionally and by his father. He has repeatedly shown great agility and coordination in his attacks. In addition to having powerful kicks and punches, Ichigo is proficient in counterattacks, takedowns, and body locks. He has repeatedly caught an opponent's weapon strikes with a single hand. He can also use his unarmed combat skills in conjunction with his swordsmanship to gain a greater edge in battle. He effortlessly defeats multiple bullies and gangsters on a regular basis, and is a better martial artist than Tatsuki Arisawa, who is ranked the second strongest girl in all of Japan despite her fighting with a broken arm. While he has stopped training, constant attacks from bullies and his father keep his skills fresh. It should be noted that he was able to effortlessly knocked out three lieutenants in rapid succession, while bare-handed, with a single strike each. Shunpo Expert: Though not particularly versed in its various techniques, Ichigo is proficient enough in the technique itself to keep up and even surprise high-level Shinigami with his speed, almost capable of moving at Hypersonic+ speed levels. Byakuya Kuchiki, one of the most proficient users of Shunpo in Soul Society, complimented Ichigo's growth mastery of the technique. During his first demonstration of this skill, he knocked out three lieutenants and grabbed his Zanpakutō to intercept Byakuya before any of them hit the ground. *'Enhanced Speed and Reflexes': Even before learning Shunpo, Ichigo is a very fast and agile fighter. Ichigo possesses great reflexes, dodging a strike with no wasted effort and immediately counterattacking. He can strike quickly, without warning, and in rapid succession. His speed allows him to follow the movements of faster opponents to better analyze their movements, and block otherwise fatal strikes. Immense Strength: Even when not in his Shinigami form, Ichigo is deceptively strong such as kicking a man on concrete ground. When he is in his Shinigami body, Ichigo's already impressive strength is greatly enhanced. He has knocked out three Shinigami lieutenants with a single punch each, one of which shattered one of their Zanpakutō at the same time. His strength is great enough to easily stop repeated axe blows from Jidanbō before shattering Jidanbō's axes in a single swing, and hurl Rukia a dozen meters into Renji's arms and send them both skidding several meters more, achieving both feats with a single hand. With a single kick, he can break down and launch a large chunk of a stone wall. His lifting strength is at least Class K while his striking strength is about Class TJ. Immense Durability: While only a teenage Human, Ichigo has shown himself to be a highly resilient man, as shown from his ability to safely break free from a binding spell (albeit a low-level one) and withstand an assault from a large Hollow. While in his Shinigami form, Ichigo is much more durable that he was in human form. During his last fight with Kūgo Ginjō, he withstood a direct hit from the Getsuga Tenshō created by said opponent, and the damage was only done to one of his arms and part of his face. His level of durability is considered from Multi-City Block level+ to Small City level. Immense Endurance: When in his Shinigami form, Ichigo's physical endurance is strengthened to the point where he can continue fighting effectively after receiving many injuries and can survive attacks that would easily kill normal humans. It was stated by Rukia that a Shinigami's life force is their spiritual power. As such, Ichigo can withstand attacks which would be fatal to most Shinigami. Uryū once stated Ichigo was a monster in this regard, and Aizen commented on his ability to continue moving despite grave injuries. Advanced Growth Rate: According to both Aizen and Urahara, Ichigo's most astounding ability is his growth rate; he grasps the basic control of advanced techniques in days where it would take several years for even the most gifted Shinigami. Shortly after gaining Shinigami powers and with no previous training, he began learning advanced spiritual energy sensing techniques by sheer instinct. While it takes most Shinigami at least 10 years to achieve Bankai, he did so in two days (albeit with the assistance of a special device invented by Urahara which was originally intended for three days). He gains considerable experience in the use of Shunpo while training with Yoruichi, which was done over the same period as his Bankai. Besides his improvements in his Shinigami abilities, Ichigo greatly increased the time he could maintain his Hollow mask, from eleven seconds to considerably longer amounts of time. During his first fight with Ulquiorra, he is instantly incapacitated by one Cero blast, even with his Hollow mask (which broke within a second), but only a few hours later, he withstands another Cero from Ulquiorra without undergoing Hollowfication, and can analyze Ulquiorra's movements much better than before, when he had "felt like he was fighting a machine or a statue" and failed to predict and counter his attacks. He is also capable of completing Jinzen within roughly 3 months in the Dangai, which even the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society will take thousands of years before it is completed. Keen Intellect: Despite his somewhat punkish attitude, Ichigo is analytical, perceptive, and deductive. n his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, despite his work as a Substitute Shinigami. Aside from that, Ichigo appears to be able to determine the pattern of his opponent's battle methods and correctly deduce a proper counter-strategy to defeat his opponent's attacks. Indomitable Will: Ichigo has a strong sense of willpower, able to resist the power of his inner hollow and break free of his control when his Hollow tried to take control; his willpower was strong enough to help regaining his resolve to fight after breaking free from his despair from both his own, and from outside help. Spiritual Awareness: Since he was a child, Ichigo had an innate ability to clearly see spiritual beings and sense their presence. After becoming a Shinigami, his senses have continued to improve with time, learning various advanced sensing techniques, such as using a spirit ribbon to find Yūichi Shibata (in bird form). Even from a considerable distance, he can detect the condition of a being with spiritual power. During his intense fight against Kenpachi Zaraki, he clearly sensed and recognized Sado's energy signature even as it weakened, despite the considerable distance between them. Vast Spiritual Power: Ichigo has been noted on several occasions to have tremendously vast levels of spiritual energy, well beyond most other Shinigami. He is capable of defeating a Gillian before awakening his true power with only his sealed Zanpakutō. His spiritual power is noted to be heavy, which surprised Renji Abarai. Ichigo constantly gives off Reiatsu at the level of a Shinigami captain. Even when worn-out in battle, he can continue fighting effectively while still using Getsuga Tenshō or unleashing and maintaining his Bankai. Even at less than half-strength, his spiritual energy is comparable to a captain-level fighter, as noted by Captain Unohana. His energy is strong enough to hold back the Sōkyoku, a halberd with the destructive force equivalent to one million Zanpakutō combined, using only his single Zanpakutō. Because Ichigo's spiritual energy constantly being so high even at its base level without him consciously being aware of it, he rarely becomes exhausted in battle, thereby meaning the sheer resilience and amounts of energy Ichigo has is monstrous. His Reiatsu color is light-blue, and when visible, takes the shape of a menacing skeletal skull that bares a resemblance to his hollow mask. *'Novice Reiatsu Control': Ichigo's spiritual energy is rather difficult for him to control, as he has no formal training in controlling it, and upon Hollowfication, his Reiatsu fluctuates wildly, with it being unreadable at its lowest point and at its highest point greater than that of the Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra Cifer. Due to this, and him having far more spiritual energy than his body can consciously contain, it leaks out constantly, preventing him from hiding it and effectively making stealth impossible when dealing with other spiritually-aware beings. He has learned how to harden his spiritual energy to enhance the strength of his attacks, or use it as a barrier to reduce the impact of attacks on him, if not negating them completely. He possesses some skill in channeling his spiritual power, as destroyed the Arbor of the Sōkyoku, a seemingly impossible feat which surprised the Gotei 13, by channeling his spiritual power through his sword into the execution stand. Zanpakutō Zangetsu (Slaying Moon): Though he used a nameless Zanpakutō when he first received Rukia's powers, after first becoming a Shinigami, Ichigo's personal Zanpakutō first manifests after his training in the Shattered Shaft with Kisuke Urahara, when he awakens his own Shinigami powers. Shortly thereafter, he awakens his Zanpakutō's Shikai, the state in which it constantly stays from that point on. *'Shikai': The Shikai form of Ichigo's Zangetsu takes form of a large, elegant cleaver, which curves inward towards the backside of the blade's tip, causing it to resemble a trench knife. It has a long silver hilt, wrapped in black cloth wrappings. The sword is as tall as Ichigo is, and has a black blade with a silver edge. A small chain is attached to the base of the hilt. Ichigo has, on more than one occasion, uses Zangetsu's wide blade as a shield from incoming attacks, and deflecting energy blasts. As noted by Yoruichi, Zangetsu is a constant release Zanpakutō, meaning that it never returns to its sealed state, almost always remaining in Shikai. This is because Ichigo's spiritual power is so large and constantly in fluctuation, making him unable to control his Zanpakutō's form very well. When Zangetsu isn't in use, Ichigo can manifest a cloth, likely with the blade's own spiritual energy, and cause it to wrap itself tightly around the blade, acting as an impromptu sheath. Ichigo can then store it by attaching it to the large strap across his back. Whenever Ichigo is ready to use Zangetsu again, simply gripping the hilt will cause the spiritual cloth to unravel and fall off. : Shikai Special Ability: Ichigo's Shikai, is largely used for melee combat, but possesses three known special abilities: *'Getsuga Tenshō' (Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer): Upon slashing with his blade, Zangetsu absorbs Ichigo's immense spiritual energy and projects it from the blade in the form of a tremendous crescent wave of energy. As stated by Zangetsu, knowing the name of an attack heightens its power compared to its strength when the wielder does not know its name. The Getsuga Tenshō is a powerful technique with great force, capable of causing large-scale damage and destruction. While it is currently the only attack Ichigo knows from Zangetsu before learning Kongenzan and Meigetsu, Ichigo has used this technique in several different manners, such as striking the ground to create an omni-directional blast to knock away incoming attacks or slashing at the ground to upturn it and crush everything in its path. After regaining his Shinigami powers, Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō has been greatly enhanced to the point where it can dispel a thunderstorm and cut Tsukishima's mansion in half, with just a single slash. He is later able to harness his Getsuga into his fighting style, greatly increasing the damage of his swings. *'Kongenzan' (Rising Moon): A new technique Ichigo learned after the Lost Agent Arc in the Bleach world. By channeling spiritual energy into Zangetsu, Ichigo rushes towards his opponent and unleashes a powerful uppercut chop that sends them flying upwards, leaving a trail of blue energy behind in it's wake. *'Meigetsu' (Harvest Moon): A new technique taught to Ichigo by Zangetsu himself in order to help Ichigo become more accustomed to him. By striking the ground, blue energy bursts from directly beneath Ichigo's target, making it a hard technique to dodge while dealing destructive blunt force to his target. This makes it one of Ichigo's most powerful attacks and often uses it as a finisher against more powerful foes. *'Bankai': Tensa Zangetsu (Heaven Chain Slaying Moon): Ichigo points his Zanpakutō in a straight direction, using either a single hand or both, with the cloth of his Shikai surrounding his arm and tightening during the activation. His spiritual power surges, with the smoke obscuring his being. Ichigo's Bankai is considered completely out of the ordinary for any Zanpakutō. Unlike most Bankai forms, which usually create some sort of massive creature or effect, Ichigo's Bankai compresses his power, causing the sword to shrink down to a pure-black nodaich (Field Sword), curving at the tip with three protrusions coming near the end of the blade on the blunt side, along with a black cross-guard and hilt. The cross-guard has four jagged, protruding prongs that take the shape of a manji (which is the kanji for "ban", meaning "full", as in "full release"). It also has a long black chain which attaches from the base of its hilt that connects to Ichigo's glove, forming a wide loop. Byakuya commented on it by saying that it looked more like a sealed state Zanpakutō than an actual Bankai. The blade itself is durable enough to withstand even the strongest of attacks, making it quite effective in blocking and deflecting incoming attacks, and can even withstand getting crushed by force. The blade is even sharp enough to cut clean through Kūgo Ginjō's sword. Additionally, Ichigo's traditional Shinigami robes and white cloak are replaced by a long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat (or shihakushō) with a white undershirt and a dark red coloration on the coat's inside. The ends of the coat flare out into three long coattails with black and white ragged endings. The coat is held together by three black "X"'s which appear similar to the ones that appear on his body in his normal state. Similar white markings appear on his forearms and the backs of his gloved-hands in Bankai. The coat signifies how much spiritual energy Ichigo has at any given time and will only take damage proportionate to lost spiritual energy. - Tensa Zangetsu]] : Bankai Special Ability: Like his Shikai, Ichigo's Bankai is primarily used for melee combat, but has a unique special ability: *'Power Augmentation': The main benefits of Tensa Zangetsu are focused on the augmentations it grants to Ichigo, allowing him to fight on a level that would normally be impossible for a human such as himself, with a lack of experience, to do so. In Bankai, Ichigo's powers increase by a factor of ten or higher, due to having achieved some level of mastery over his own Zanpakutō. Ichigo is capable of standing toe-to-toe with some of the strongest opponents in his Bankai, including that of Sōsuke Aizen. **'Hyper-Speed Combat': Ichigo takes all the power of his Bankai and compresses it into a small, condensed form. Then, he uses the power of the Bankai to perform high-speed combat. His new speed is so great, that it also enhances his Shunpo prowess and allows him to create dozens of afterimages to confuse his opponent. In Bankai, his speed is considered to be from High Hypersonic+ to Massively Hypersonic levels. **'Enhanced Getsuga Tenshō': Tensa Zangetsu retains the use of Getsuga Tenshō and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, these potent blasts are black with a red outline and their path can be controlled, with explosively augmented power and speed. During Byakuya Kuchiki's fight with Ichigo, he refers to this attack as Kuroi Getsuga Tenshō (Black Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer). This technique was originally Hollow Ichigo's technique. Ichigo can keep Getsuga Tenshō within Tensa Zangetsu to augment the strength of his sword swings in melee combat, or fire it from the tip of the blade as if it were a bullet; other uses for this technique can be either to trap his opponents, or to scatter the Getsuga energy and release multiple Getsuga Tenshō blasts to inflict damage to multiple opponents. **'Enhanced Kongenzan': Like Getsuga Tenshō, Tensa Zangetsu still retains the usage of Kongenzan and can be used in the same manners, but can be used in an enhanced form. When used in Bankai, the slash trails are black with a red outline and can deal more destructive power, as well as increasing the speed and control over the technique. **'Enhanced Meigetsu': In Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu retains use of Meigetsu. Because of that, Ichigo can forgo stabbing the ground, as declaring the name of the technique causes an energy circle to form directly beneath his foe and then releases a tremendous burst of black and red spiritual energy that has enough strength to send shockwaves for miles around, as well as increasing the damage dealt when hit. Using this technique in Bankai is referred to as Kuroi Meigetsu (Black Harvest Moon), due to the technique's color like Kuroi Getsuga. **'Enhanced Strength': Ichigo's Bankai also allows him to further enhance his natural great strength as shown from how effortlessly he blocked a punch from Yammy Llargo, an Espada known primarily for his immense strength. He is strong enough to cut through Yammy's Hierro with relative ease. His Bankai-enhanced strength even allowed Ichigo to break through a Hōgyoku-enhanced Aizen's level 90 Kidō spell, even with full incantation, and crush Ginjō's Bankai-enhanced Fullbring energy blast, all with just one hand. The sudden boost in strength upon releasing Bankai allows Ichigo to break free of any attack that binds or prevents him from moving. In Bankai, his striking strength is around Class PJ. **'Enhanced Spiritual Power': His already vast Reiatsu increases grandly and explosively. His spiritual pressure is so intense and rough, as well as thick and heavy, it can suffocate Humans who are in the general vicinity of his released Bankai. Ichigo's spiritual pressure is solid in his Bankai. Initially, when he activated his Bankai, he produced a white aura which shot high into the sky. Ever since Ichigo defeated his inner Hollow and affirmed his place as a Visored, he produces a deep black spiritual energy with a crimson outline, which emanates off of Ichigo's body when his spiritual pressure is exerted, replacing his white aura. After his training in the Dangai, Ichigo's ability to sense spiritual pressure has increased greatly, as he can now sense his sisters blocks away through various buildings and determine their current status. According to Sōsuke Aizen, by achieving evolution into a dimension separate from Shinigami, both Shinigami and Humans have become unable to feel his Reiatsu unless he voluntarily lowers his level and allows them to interfere, in the same way a two-dimensional being is unable to interfere with a three-dimensional being. In this same way, he surmises Ichigo is standing in a dimension even higher than the one he is in. After Ichigo regains his Shinigami powers for the second time, his Bankai activation reverts back to the way it used to be, shooting a white aura high into the sky (though still emits black Reiatsu with a crimson outline when he exerts spiritual energy or uses his Hollow Mask). The released energy can break apart Yukio's chatroom, which is said to be indestructible. While in Bankai, Ichigo's vast spiritual energy turns deep black, with a blue outline. **'Enhanced Bankai Duration': Furthermore, the fact that all of his energy is "compressed" means that usage of his Bankai doesn't expel as much spiritual power as other Bankai from the point of activation; thus allowing him to use Tensa Zangetsu at a much longer duration than any other Bankai users of his level. From his final encounter with Grimmjow in Hueco Mundo until Aizen's defeat, Ichigo continuously stayed in his Bankai state for three months. *'Enhanced Concussive Force': Tensa Zangetsu has extraordinary concussive force behind each of its swings. During his final battle with Aizen, Ichigo's Bankai has enough force to shatter a mountain. *'Chiretsu Hogeki' (Earth-Rending Felling Strike): Ichigo spins around with Tensa Zangetsu before launching into mid-air, then strikes the ground and damages his opponents in a swirl of black and crimson Reiatsu. *'Tenbu Renjin' (Swift Series of Heaven Dance): In midair, Ichigo slashes repeatedly in all directions with Tensa Zangetsu, damaging all nearby enemies, or use it as a defensive move against incoming enemy attacks. Ichigo first used this technique when he sliced through the billion petal blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi without knowing the name. After he regained his powers for the second time, he eventually learned the name through training and has used the technique for many occasions. Quincy Powers Blut (German for "Blood," Japanese for "Blood Guise"): A Quincy ability which gives one inhuman defensive & offensive capability. Ichigo first unlocked this ability during his final battle with Aizen alongside Hitsugaya, thus unlocking the mystery of his untapped powers. *'Blut Vene' (German for "Blood Vein," Japanese for "Stilled Blood Guise"): One of the two Blut abilities, Blut Vene is the defensive Blut, increasing the user's defensive and healing powers. Shortly afterwards, however, Ichigo admits that he has felt a sensation similar to the defensive Blut in serious fights before. Namely, in his battle with Byakuya Kuchiki, his Blut Vene, in a more incomplete state, activated while he gripped Byakuya's Senbonzakura in his hand, protecting it from serious lacerations. He also subconsciously used Blut Vene to catch Grimmjow's Hierro-enhanced paw during their third confrontation, despite it being enhanced even further due to Grimmjow releasing his Zanpakutō. *'Blut Arterie' (German for "Blood Artery," Japanese for "Moving Blood Guise"): One of the two Blut abilities, Blut Arterie is the offensive Blut, increasing the user's offensive power. **'Blut Getsuga Tenshō': A new technique Ichigo utilizes by combining his Blut Arterie with his Getsuga Tenshō for more destructive damage; an attack at Country level was powerful enough to even severely damage a Hōgyoku- and Hollow mask-empowered Aizen, yet didn't kill him until the latter was hit by Hitsugaya's Dragon Force-enhanced Dragon Slayer's Secret Art. Hollowfication Hollow Mask: Ichigo's Hollow Mask has the appearance of what could best be described as a menacing skull. The mask is white and has two thick vertical red-black stripes shaped like an "X", covering the most of the front portion of the mask, which are in between the widened eye-holes and covered on the top portion of the jaw. The Hollow mask was originally a sign of Ichigo's possession by the his inner Hollow, but after his training with the Visored, it merely indicates he is utilizing his Hollow powers. To access Hollow Ichigo's power, Ichigo must summon the mask onto his face. He normally does this by placing one of his hands over his face, and concentrating spiritual matter on it in order to manifest the mask (previously, it had appeared on its own before he mastered the Hollow within him), summoning the mask in a "ripping" fashion. With the mask in place, Ichigo's eyes irises become yellow, and he has black sclera and pupils. His voice has a slight Hollow echo to it. With the mask, he gains access to increased physical enhancements. Strangely, though most of the other Visored have been able to shift the position of the mask while apparently still retaining the abilities of their Hollowfied state, as well as using general Hollow abilities, Ichigo has never done either. *'Power Augmentation': While wearing the mask, Ichigo's Hollow powers supplement his Shinigami powers, giving him a vast increase in many capabilities. **'Augmented Getsuga Tenshō': When Ichigo wears his mask, the power, speed, blast area, force, and size of the Getsuga Tenshō becomes drastically augmented, to the point of seriously harming a foe. When used with his Bankai and Hollow mask in combination, his Getsuga Tenshō is stated to be his ultimate attack. Ichigo's tremendous speed lets him to move faster than the Getsuga Tenshō itself, allowing him to fire multiple blasts from different directions. Ulquiorra Cifer believes his Getsuga Tenshō is Ichigo's strongest attack, comparing it to an Espada's black Cero, particularly a Cero Oscuras. The black Getsuga Tenshō was first displayed by Ichigo's inner Hollow, and initially carried the risk of causing his inner Hollow to surface if used too much. With Ichigo's later control over his inner Hollow, this is no longer a problem. With the use of his new mask, he can fire a Getsuga Tenshō powerful enough to send Yammy Llargo falling down head first while he was in his much larger and stronger Resurrección state, and cut a high-rise building in half. **'Enhanced Strength': In Hollow form, Ichigo's strength has been greatly enhanced. In his second fight with Grimmjow, he overpowered Grimmjow's Cero. In his third fight with Grimmjow, he blocked the destructive force of an Espada's strongest Cero, the Gran Rey Cero, fired by Grimmjow. After he unleashed his Hollowfication in his battle with Ulquiorra, he slightly broke his sword with a single slash. He effortlessly blocked a Cero fired by Ulquiorra. His striking strength has now increased to at least Class TJ+. **'Enhanced Speed': While wearing his mask, Ichigo's already formidable speed is greatly enhanced, almost to Massively Hypersonic+ levels. During his second battle against Grimmjow, Ichigo's speed completely overwhelmed the Espada, who was unable to follow Ichigo's movement, and forced him completely on the defensive with his barrage of attacks. His attacks become so fast the opponent cannot even perceive them until after they are hit. He becomes fast enough to outrun his own Getsuga Tenshō, allowing him to strike and enhance them, or launch simultaneous attacks at the opponent from different angles. **'Enhanced Durability': While wearing the mask, Ichigo's formidable durability is greatly enhanced as well, able to take far more brutal punishment from his more-powerful adversaries, and still fight onwards. During his third fight with Grimmjow, he is thrown through various buildings and obstructions and emerges unharmed. Ichigo shielded Orihime and Nel from a barrage of Grimmjow's dart bullets, which have enough destructive force to destroy a large building. He was able to take the full brunt of Grimmjow's Gran Ray Cero and remain unfazed from the attack afterwards. His increased durability is now from Large City level+ to Small Mountain level. **'Enhanced Spiritual Power': While wearing the mask, Ichigo's vast spiritual energy drastically increases. Upon witnessing his enormous spiritual energy, one of the Privaron Espada, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, described it as amazing. The Cuatro Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, stated his Spiritual Pressure was higher than his own (though he also stated it was fluctuating). During Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow, the Tercera Espada, Tier Harribel, note the volume, concentration, and catastrophic nature of his Spiritual Pressure did not seem like that of a Human, but more like that of an Espada. Even Sōsuke Aizen complimented his Reiatsu, stating he had grown. It has been noted multiple times that with the mask on, his spiritual energy changes into something similar to that of a Hollow, or even an Arrancar (maybe Espada by several high-ranking Arrancar). Ichigo can use the combined spiritual energy released in his Bankai activation and Hollowfication to launch himself in the air. *'Mask Regeneration': If Ichigo has enough spiritual power, he can repair small amounts of damage inflicted upon his mask. This is displayed during his third fight with Grimmjow, and during his most recent fight with Ulquiorra. *'Hollow Combat': When Ichigo fights with his mask on, his fighting style becomes more instinctive than practiced. The Hollow mask makes Ichigo more ruthless, akin to the battle style of Hollow Ichigo. Throughout the duration of the Hollowfication, Ichigo displays less concern for injuries to his person, even ignoring grievous wounds to continue fighting. Ulquiorra Cifer stated Ichigo in this form resembles an Arrancar, and his movements are similar to theirs'. *'Increased Mask Duration': After subjugating his inner Hollow, Ichigo can use his Hollow mask while retaining his personality, but could originally only wear it for four seconds at a time. After training with the Visored, the limit increases to eleven seconds. His time limit and Hollow powers greatly increase during his third battle with Grimmjow. The reasons behind Ichigo now being capable of fighting entire battles with his mask currently remain unknown. Grimmjow speculated Ichigo's improvements came from a subconscious need. It is unknown if the time limit of his new mask has changed, though the mask began deteriorating immediately after he fired a Getsuga Tenshō at Sōsuke Aizen with it on. Once he gained resolve to fight Aizen, the mask was used much longer, but began dispersing again once he lost his composure. *'Mask Re-Summon': He can call his mask a second time after it shatters. When used for the first time, the mask immediately broke apart. Later, this is no longer a problem. In his first fight with Ulquiorra, though unseen, it was used to help defend against Ulquiorra's Cero (though the mask was destroyed), and again during his most recent confrontation with him, after he enters his released form. Once Ichigo's mask changed in his battle with Yammy Llargo, he noticed his mask felt different, as if it was heavier, and he was unable to re-summon it for a brief period of time. Tensa Zangetsu states the oddities of the new mask come from Ichigo's fear of the Hollow form he took to defeat Ulquiorra Cifer, where his sanity was overwhelmed by its power, and he cannot Hollowfy properly. Equipment Substitute Shinigami Badge: Given to Ichigo by Ukitake before leaving Soul Society for the first time, the pendant he commonly carries on his belt signifies his position as a Substitute Shinigami, allowing him to remain active in the Human World. The pendant gives Ichigo the ability to separate his soul from his body in the absence of Rukia's glove or Kon. It alerts him to the presence of Hollows in Karakura Town, much like Rukia's Denreishinki. Ukitake informs Ichigo the badge can also be dangerous, and thus it has built-in protection making it invisible to normal Humans. Zennosuke Kurumadani tells Ichigo he has never heard of his "Seal of Approval", causing Ichigo to refer to it as useless before Shinji's arrival. When Ichigo loses his powers, all of the mentioned abilities of the badge are lost as well. Kugo Ginjo tells Ichigo the true purpose of the badge is to observe and restrict the owner. It is at once a surveillance device for Soul Society and a device to absorb, analyze, and control the user's Reiatsu. It is also a device for communicating with Soul Society, as Ichigo could hear Rukia's voice coming from it. As the badge absorbed and stored Ichigo's Reiatsu, Ichigo used it as his Fullbring focus. Power Status Tier: 6-A to at least 5-C | Low 5-A Attack Potency: Speed: Lifting Strength: Striking Strength: Durability: Relationships Family *Isshin Kurosaki (Father) *Masaki Kurosaki (Mother; Deceased) *Karin Kurosaki (Younger Sister) *Yuzu Kurosaki (Younger Sister) Friends/Allies *Zangetsu *Team Warriors **Tōshirō Hitsugaya **Rukia Kuchiki **Naruto Uzumaki **Sasuke Uchiha **Sakura Haruno **Hinata Hyūga **Natsu Dragneel ***Happy **Gray Fullbuster **Juvia Lockser **Lucy Heartfilia **Erza Scarlet **Wendy Marvell ***Carla **Edward Elric **Alphonse Elric **May Chang ***Xiao-Mei Rivals *Tōshirō Hitsugaya Enemies *New Axis Powers Background in Other Media Trivia * Quotes * Battles & Events Battles * Events * Navigation Category:Characters Category:Male Category:Human Category:Shinigami Category:Quincy Category:Visored Category:Substitute Shinigami Category:Kurosaki Family Category:Team Karakura Category:New Allied Forces Category:Team Warriors Members Category:Bleach Characters Category:Primary Characters Category:Leaders/Commanders Category:Tier 6 Class Category:Tier 5 Class Category:Protagonists